List of current Indian chief justices
The Indian judiciary consists of the Supreme Court of India, which is the highest court in the country and the constituent courts. The Supreme Court serves as the final court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India and consists of 33 judges headed by the Chief Justice of India.[1] The High Courts are the top judicial bodies in individual states, controlled and managed by Chief Justices of the respective courts. There are 25 High Courts in the country with seven of them having multiple jurisdictions. The High Courts manage a system of sub-ordinate courts headed by the various District and Session Courts in their respective jurisdictions. As per the Constitution of India, the Chief Justice, the other judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts are appointed by the President of India.[2]
List of chief justices
[edit]| Name of the Chief Justice | Image | Date of Appointment as Chief Justice | Date of Retirement | Tenure | Nominated By | Appointed By | Date of elevation to Supreme Court | Seniority rank on the date of elevation | Date of Initial Appointment as Judge | Parent High Court |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai (list) |
 |
14 May 2025 (80 days) |
23 November 2025 (−113 days) |
194 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Droupadi Murmu | 24 May 2019 (6 years, 70 days) |
8 | 14 November 2003 (21 years, 261 days) |
Bombay |
| High Court | Name of the Chief Justice | Date of Appointment as Chief Justice | Date of Retirement | Tenure | Nominated as Chief Justice by | Appointed By | Parent High Court | All India seniority rank | Date of Initial Appointment as Judge | Nominated as Judge of by | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allahabad High Court | Arun Bhansali (list) |
5 February 2024 (1 year, 178 days) |
14 October 2029 (−4 years, 73 days) |
5 years, 252 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Droupadi Murmu | Rajasthan | 17 Since 30 May 2025 |
8 January 2013 (12 years, 206 days) |
Altamas Kabir | |
| Andhra Pradesh High Court | Dhiraj Singh Thakur (list) |
28 July 2023 (2 years, 5 days) |
24 April 2026 (−265 days) |
2 years, 271 days | Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh | 19 Since 30 May 2025 |
8 March 2013 (12 years, 147 days) |
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| Bombay High Court | Alok Aradhe (list) |
23 July 2023 (2 years, 10 days) Date of appointment in current HC 21 January 2025 (193 days) |
12 April 2026 (−253 days) |
2 years, 264 days Tenure in current HC 1 year, 82 days |
D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC Sanjiv Khanna |
Madhya Pradesh | 5 Since 24 May 2025 |
29 December 2009 (15 years, 216 days) |
K. G. Balakrishnan | 6th CJ of Telangana From 23 July 2023 – 20 January 2025 (1 year, 182 days) | |
| Calcutta High Court | Tirunelveli Subbiah Sivagnanam (list) |
11 May 2023 (2 years, 83 days) |
15 September 2025 (−44 days) |
2 years, 128 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Madras | 2 Since 24 May 2025 |
31 March 2009 (16 years, 124 days) |
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| Chhattisgarh High Court | Ramesh Sinha (list) |
29 March 2023 (2 years, 126 days) |
4 September 2026 (−1 year, 33 days) |
3 years, 160 days | Allahabad | 11 Since 24 May 2025 |
21 November 2011 (13 years, 254 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | |||
| Delhi High Court | Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya (list) |
29 July 2023 (2 years, 4 days) Date of appointment in current HC 21 January 2025 (193 days) |
15 June 2027 (−1 year, 317 days) |
3 years, 322 days Tenure in current HC 2 years, 146 days |
D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC Sanjiv Khanna |
Allahabad | 13 Since 24 May 2025 |
21 November 2011 (13 years, 254 days) |
47th CJ of Bombay From 29 July 2023 – 20 January 2025 (1 year, 176 days) | ||
| Gauhati High Court | Ashutosh Kumar (list) |
21 July 2025 (12 days) |
30 September 2028 (−3 years, 59 days) |
3 years, 72 days | B. R. Gavai | Patna | 50 Since 3 August 2025 |
15 May 2014 (11 years, 79 days) |
R. M. Lodha | ||
| Gujarat High Court | Sunita Agarwal (list) |
23 July 2023 (2 years, 10 days) |
29 April 2028 (−2 years, 271 days) |
4 years, 282 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Allahabad | 12 Since 24 May 2025 |
21 November 2011 (13 years, 254 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | ||
| Himachal Pradesh High Court | Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia (list) |
29 December 2024 (216 days) |
31 October 2027 (−2 years, 90 days) |
2 years, 307 days | Punjab and Haryana | 10 Since 24 May 2025 |
30 September 2011 (13 years, 306 days) |
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| Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court | Arun Palli (list) |
16 April 2025 (108 days) |
17 September 2026 (−1 year, 46 days) |
1 year, 155 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Punjab and Haryana | 37 Since 30 May 2025 |
28 December 2013 (11 years, 217 days) |
P. Sathasivam | ||
| Jharkhand High Court | Tarlok Singh Chauhan (list) |
23 July 2025 (10 days) |
8 January 2026 (−159 days) |
170 days | B. R. Gavai | Himachal Pradesh | 48 Since 3 August 2025 |
23 February 2014 (11 years, 160 days) |
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| Karnataka High Court | Vibhu Bakhru (list) |
19 July 2025 (14 days) |
1 November 2028 (−3 years, 91 days) |
3 years, 106 days | Delhi | 22 Since 30 May 2025 |
17 April 2013 (12 years, 107 days) |
Altamas Kabir | |||
| Kerala High Court | Nitin Madhukar Jamdar (list) |
26 September 2024 (310 days) |
9 January 2026 (−160 days) |
1 year, 106 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Bombay | 14 Since 30 May 2025 |
23 January 2012 (13 years, 191 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | ||
| Madhya Pradesh High Court | Sanjeev Sachdeva (list) |
17 July 2025 (16 days) |
25 December 2026 (−1 year, 145 days) |
1 year, 162 days | B. R. Gavai | Delhi | 21 Since 30 May 2025 |
17 April 2013 (12 years, 107 days) |
Altamas Kabir | ||
| Madras High Court | Manindra Mohan Shrivastava (list) |
6 February 2024 (1 year, 177 days) Date of appointment in current HC 21 July 2025 (12 days) |
5 March 2026 (−215 days) |
2 years, 28 days Tenure in current HC 228 days |
D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC B. R. Gavai |
Chhattisgarh | 4 Since 24 May 2025 |
10 December 2009 (15 years, 235 days) |
K. G. Balakrishnan | 42nd CJ of Rajasthan From 6 February 2024 – 20 July 2025 (1 year, 165 days) | |
| Manipur High Court | Kempaiah Somashekar (list) |
22 May 2025 (72 days) |
14 September 2025 (−43 days) |
116 days | B. R. Gavai | Karnataka | 96 Since 3 August 2025 |
14 November 2016 (8 years, 261 days) |
T. S. Thakur | ||
| Meghalaya High Court | Indra Prasanna Mukerji (list) |
3 October 2024 (303 days) |
5 September 2025 (−34 days) |
338 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Calcutta | 3 Since 24 May 2025 |
18 May 2009 (16 years, 76 days) |
K. G. Balakrishnan | ||
| Orissa High Court | Harish Tandon (list) |
26 March 2025 (129 days) |
15 November 2026 (−1 year, 105 days) |
1 year, 235 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Calcutta | 6 Since 24 May 2025 |
13 April 2010 (15 years, 111 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | ||
| Patna High Court | Vipul Manubhai Pancholi (list) |
21 July 2025 (12 days) |
27 May 2030 (−4 years, 298 days) |
4 years, 311 days | B. R. Gavai | Gujarat | 57 Since 3 August 2025 |
1 October 2014 (10 years, 305 days) |
R. M. Lodha | ||
| Punjab and Haryana High Court | Sheel Nagu (list) |
9 July 2024 (1 year, 24 days) |
31 December 2026 (−1 year, 151 days) |
2 years, 176 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Madhya Pradesh | 8 Since 24 May 2025 |
27 May 2011 (14 years, 67 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | ||
| Rajasthan High Court | Kalpathi Rajendran Shriram (list) |
27 September 2024 (309 days) Date of appointment in current HC 21 July 2025 (12 days) |
27 September 2025 (−56 days) |
1 year, 1 day Tenure in current HC 69 days |
D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC B. R. Gavai |
Bombay | 26 Since 30 May 2025 |
21 June 2013 (12 years, 42 days) |
Altamas Kabir | 45th CJ of Madras From 27 September 2024 – 20 July 2025 (297 days) | |
| Sikkim High Court | Biswanath Somadder (list) |
27 April 2020 (5 years, 97 days) Date of appointment in current HC 12 October 2021 (3 years, 294 days) |
14 December 2025 (−134 days) |
5 years, 232 days Tenure in current HC 4 years, 64 days |
S. A. Bobde Nominated in current HC N. V. Ramana |
Ram Nath Kovind | Calcutta | 1 Since 27 October 2023 |
22 June 2006 (19 years, 41 days) |
Y. K. Sabharwal | 9th CJ of Meghalaya From 27 April 2020 – 11 October 2021 (1 year, 168 days) |
| Telangana High Court | Aparesh Kumar Singh (list) |
17 April 2023 (2 years, 107 days) Date of appointment in current HC 19 July 2025 (14 days) |
6 July 2027 (−1 year, 338 days) |
4 years, 81 days Tenure in current HC 1 year, 353 days |
D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC B. R. Gavai |
Droupadi Murmu | Jharkhand | 15 Since 30 May 2025 |
24 January 2012 (13 years, 190 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | 8th CJ of Tripura From 17 April 2023 – 18 July 2025 (2 years, 93 days) |
| Tripura High Court | Mamidanna Satyaratna Ramachandra Rao (list) |
30 May 2023 (2 years, 64 days) Date of appointment in current HC 22 July 2025 (11 days) |
6 August 2028 (−3 years, 4 days) |
5 years, 69 days Tenure in current HC 3 years, 16 days |
D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC B. R. Gavai |
Telangana | 16 Since 30 May 2025 |
29 June 2012 (13 years, 34 days) |
28th CJ of Himachal Pradesh From 30 May 2023 – 24 September 2024 (1 year, 118 days) 16th CJ of Jharkhand | ||
| Uttarakhand High Court | Guhanathan Narendar (list) |
26 December 2024 (219 days) |
9 January 2026 (−160 days) |
1 year, 15 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Karnataka | 59 Since 3 August 2025 |
2 January 2015 (10 years, 212 days) |
H. L. Dattu |
† - Acting Chief Justice
Dates of Changes in Seniority Rank (S.R.):
27 October 2023 - Retirement of Vipin Sanghi (CJ of Uttarakhand) on 26 October 2023 (S.R. 1)
24 May 2025 - Retirement of S. K. Kait (CJ of Madhya Pradesh) on 23 May 2025 (S.R. 2)
30 May 2025 - Elevation of N. V. Anjaria (CJ of Karnataka) to Supreme Court on 30 May 2025 (S.R. 14)
3 August 2025 - Retirement of Attau Rahman Masoodi (Judge of Allahabad) on 2 August 2025 (S.R. 46)
See also
[edit]- List of current Indian governors
- List of current Indian lieutenant governors and administrators
- List of current Indian chief ministers
- List of current Indian deputy chief ministers
- List of current Indian legislative speakers and chairpersons
- List of current Indian opposition leaders
- List of female chief justices in India
- List of sitting judges of the Supreme Court of India
- List of former judges of the Supreme Court of India
- List of female judges of the Supreme Court of India
- List of sitting judges of the high courts of India
- List of former chief justices of the high courts of India
References
[edit]- ^ "Rule of law index 2016". Justice Project. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "Memorandum of procedure of appointment of Supreme Court Judges". Government of India. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ ANI (14 May 2025). "Justice BR Gavai sworn in as 52nd Chief Justice of India". ThePrint. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ List of Chief Justice of the High Court (PDF). Government of India (Report). Retrieved 21 November 2016.
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